One
by Simetra Kain
Summary: For ZackFairLover. No matter what, she would be free from the clutches of the Organization.


I'm back again! And this time around, I really do have a challenge, something completely out of my realm of comfort, but not impossible for me to take on. I got another request in case you're curious, and in fact, I got two in one swing! They're one-shots of course, because multi-chapters are out of the question for now.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Request fic for ZackFairLover. Hope you like it! (Waves)**

Inspired by Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

Princess Io

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**One**

"So…you found me. Then again, I wouldn't expect anything less, not from someone like **you**." A bitter chuckle escaped the young man's lips. He just couldn't believe the chances, to see her again. How interesting indeed, for he to meet her once more under set circumstances.

"Hmph…how charming of you. Now, are we doing this the hard way or my way?"

Another snort. Her voice is still the same way that he remembered. She was a wonderful little flower when he first met her, and now…she's different. Her pupils of azure had been ripped away from her very eyes, only leaving empty ones that were dull cobalt.

"I prefer the hard way, don't you agree?" He smirked, casually crossing his left leg over his right. He intertwined his fingers together and placed them in front of his nose, deep in contemplation as he gazed at her edgy figure.

It had been a few years since their last meeting, and he was surprised to see how developed she had become since then. The young woman was clad in nothing but black from head to toe. Simple combat boots were wrapped securely around her ankles and shins.

A utility belt was clasped around her lower waist, displaying a tracking device, an extra first aid kit and the like. A black leather number covered her torso; the silver zipper perched right underneath her clavicle, leaving her neck exposed for all to see.

The only thing that made his eyes widen was her remarkably beautiful tresses. The locks flowed majestically around her upper body, the tips reaching the end of her rear. She was a flawless image, one that always brought him to his knees. And she certainly had done it again.

Wordlessly, the girl quirked an eyebrow out of annoyance, but not long before her lit up expression had changed back to a stoic one. Her frown was icy, but it didn't faze the young man several feet across from her.

"Then I suppose you know how much time I have left correct?" She asked, her eyes never leaving his as she pulled out a hidden weapon from behind her shoulder blades.

He nodded; his peripheral vision stared at the clock above the burning fireplace. "Always. Fifteen minutes, twenty-three seconds."

**--  
**

The girl didn't reply, instead she glared at him, and quickly readied the trigger on her handgun. This battle was going to get bloody. The silver bullets hastily making their way toward their designated target. The light had gone out, and their bodies were shrouded in darkness.

The young woman could still hear the tiny echoes the bullets had made ringing in her hollow ears. She dared not move an inch, for the previous battle before it was her ultimate downfall. Instead, she opted to listening for vibrations that surrounded her body at certain angles.

Bullets whizzed by her left ear, and had imbedded themselves in the wall behind her. At that instant, she leaped to another corner of the large room and reflected the amount of shots to the direction the ones before had originated.

It was a game of cat and mouse, and he was enjoying every bit of this tango for dominance. Smoke began to develop around the proximity, further increasing the chances of blindness from all the artillery being used.

The feud continued until a bullet had been lodged inside awkwardly and prevented movement in her gun. The vixen gasped, that slip of breath giving off her position in the large room. He heard it not too far from his current position, and followed the soft steps in the Victorian carpet to target her.

"_Dammit!"_ Scolding herself, the girl moving swiftly to another location.

The chase began, and she didn't have enough time to reload her gun, and her last bullet had been stuck. However, a hand had landed expertly on the middle of her back and pushed her forward toward an unknown destination.

Attempting to catch her balance, the girl pivoted her foot far enough to only slam her left shoulder onto a wall. The smoke began to clear, and the moonlight slowly revealed the current situation. Her shoulder burned from the harsh impact, but was completely ignored since someone was grabbing her undivided attention.

"See? The hard way is always the fun way." The man playfully declared, his smile never leaving his fair skinned features. Both of his hands had pinned the woman against the wall, keeping her planted to the spot.

He leaned in close, to get a better look at her face. She backed away, even though there was nowhere else to move. His body was only mere centimeters away from touching hers, but she began to sweat form the…close contact.

The two only stared at one another. Both adults lost in their own individual thoughts. Just why were they on opposite sides in the first place? Could it be simply because of opposing views? Or was there something more?

A few strands fell in front of the woman's face, only making her that much more beautiful. And he loved it. "It doesn't matter how many times you try…I always cut you down. Got it memorized?" His trademark phrase rang through her bleak memory. But she didn't want to hear it anymore, didn't want to believe the truth that passed his very lips.

_But why was it so painful to hear…the truth?_

She closed her eyes, "You don't understand…I was sent because—"

"You were ordered to kill me. I know. I've **always** known. But you don't get it, do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

**--  
**

A sigh. He was getting frustrated, and instead went with plan B. His lips mercilessly bruised hers in an unforgiving kiss. She stood there, frozen and taken off guard due to the surprise he had hidden away. The kiss was as fiery as his rebellious nature, and it fueled her to deny his display of affection.

A strong palm-push strike had been delivered, and was expected to hurdle the man. But he saw this ahead of time, and blocked it by reversing the technique. Her fist was held in place against his chest, while his hand intervened.

He broke off the kiss, but kept his forehead leaned against hers, ever so gently. "Just the same…as I remember you…" He whispered genuinely against her lips, his breath tickling her flushed cheeks. The two were in coiled tightly in an intimate moment, silently admiring one another.

How interesting, to go from fighting to…this. He had her right where he wants her, and she wasn't complaining. He released her powerful hand that was caught in his vice grip, and cupped her cheek.

"_Damn him…"_ The young woman thought, cursing herself for falling for his charms yet again. She didn't want to end it this way; he was forcing her into an indecisive train of thought. Was she really the robot she portrayed to be?

He was waiting for her to say something. Anything! But he knew it wouldn't be the same even if she did. She changed, and was a completely different person in everyone else's line of sight, but her appearance didn't fool him.

_Unfortunately…_

The girl had attempted another onslaught, and succeeded. An energized roundhouse kick had been inputted on his side, breaking a few ribs under the impact. He was sent to another part of the moonlit room, holding his injury with tender care.

He only sneered in response, impressed by her ambition to take advantage of him. That was definitely a new trick in the book as far as he was concerned. But what she had done next he never expected. A sharp pain had been held in the center of his stomach.

The man looked down to see what had happened, horror now written across his expression. That thick blade was lodged far into his abdomen, and the woman pulled it out to finish the job. He fell over onto the hard wooden floor, staining his own quarters with scarlet life.

Her eyes had returned to their original color, the irises shining a bright shade of cerulean. She gazed at what she had committed, and dropped the weapon from her shameful grip in a state of shock. It was too late…

So why did it have to end like this? Wasn't there another way? Another solution?

"Axel…" She said quietly, kneeling down to his height where he lay. Motionless, in pain, Axel's breath gradually became ragged and shallow. He couldn't believe she was seeing this. Not now, not when he was so close…

"You…were under a trance. They brainwashed you like all the others. Looks like I'm too late…huh?" He asked jokingly, a thin line of crimson dripping from the corner of his mouth. Kairi tore a piece of her clothing, and tried to stop the bleeding on his fatal injury.

He looked to her, grabbed her wrist and shook his head in defiance. The Nobody urged her to leave while she still could, so the Organization wouldn't find her. He knew what they would do to her next if she were still alive and broken away from the spell cast upon her.

She kissed his moist lips, tasting the bittersweet stream of blood. He continued to bleed out, his sight getting blurrier with each passing second. He wished she didn't get caught up in this mess in the first place, but there was no time to be regretting the past.

Tears erupted from her dry ducts and painted Axel's pale face. Kairi hadn't cried in years, and this was the first time since her capture. He wiped the salty tears from her cheeks as much as he could before speaking.

"Kairi…I knew you were going to break from the spell eventually. You just needed…an extra push." He gasped, the affect of the wound getting stronger. Kairi's lip quivered, more tears falling from her eyes and onto his bloodstained clothes.

**What had she done?**

"Just…remember…that…" Axel didn't finish; his life had been stolen away all too quickly. Those brilliant eyes of evergreen had dilated, and the eyelids closed one final time.

Kairi continued to weep over the loss of someone she held dear. A mark glowed on her right cheek, an imperfection in her design. The first scar she ever received from Axel. A cross slash of an X had blinked like a beacon, a signal for all who were connected to it.

She wished she could turn back the hands of time. They were unforgiving, and never gave a second chance. Now a new path was set, and she was to walk along it, alone.

It was then that she realized something that was locked away in the deep confines of her memory. Something that Axel was trying to make her remember. A piece of information that could have saved him.

"_I love you…"_ Her voice whispered, the sound echoing all around the room. It bounced off the corners of the walls and rang true. It wasn't a lie, it never was. The lie was everything else implanted within her brain.

**One chance, one life, one death.**

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A word from the author…

So um, that's new for me. And I hope that you like it **ZackFairLover**. I also hope that my readers and reviewers like it too. Hope you critique/comment! Thanks again for all the support. I really appreciate the love.


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